Last season, Milwaukee found itself in an extremely unfamiliar position: last place.
UWM has generally been a consistently-strong program and a postseason regular – including a 2020-21 campaign that saw a share of the Horizon League regular season title, and a demolition of Drake in the first round of the WNIT – so last place is about as acceptable in Cream City as Anheuser-Busch.
The good news is that head coach Kyle Rechlicz feels that her team isn’t far from drastic improvement. She means that very literally, as the 2024-25 Panthers lost seven games by one possession or in overtime, and another five by two possessions. In all, Rechlicz estimates, Milwaukee was just 17 possessions away from winning 21 games, a great season by any measure, instead of eight.
On one notable occasion, UWM led Cleveland State by ten entering the fourth quarter before losing in overtime. The Panthers dropped their two games against both Robert Morris and Northern Kentucky by seven points each, and a regular season sweep at the hands of Detroit Mercy involved just six total points of separation.
Rechlicz hopes that the natural reset of an offseason clears up what was largely a team-wide mental issue that snowballed as last year progressed, resulting in the Panthers becoming much more effective at closing out games.
“We worked with sports psychologists, we worked obviously on end-of-the-game situations, but it almost got to the point where there was this innate fear going in towards those situations,” the 14th-year mentor said. “And we need to be confident in those situations. We need to have people out there that want to put the team on their back that are ready to take the last shot and put the ball in the cup.”
A lot of those last shots will be taken by different players this season, thanks to some significant departures. That outbound group is headlined by one of the conference’s best point guards, Kamy Peppler, who transferred to archrival Green Bay, as well as by the graduations of Anna Lutz, Kacee Baumhower, and Jada Donaldson.
A rebuilt backcourt will be fortified by a few newcomers, including Eastern Washington transfer Valérie Cassidy-De Falco, juco addition Rita Gomes, and freshman Olivia Olson. But just as importantly, Rechlicz argues, Milwaukee has a bevy of talented players who have been buried behind veterans until now, and are ready to take center stage.
That list features a pair of players likely to slot in at the three, including Grace Lomen, a senior who spent the first two years of her career at Wisconsin–Parkside. Redshirt sophomore Sophia Rampulla, whose offseason work drew a Rechlicz comparison to program great Kendall Nead, should see a measurable bump in minutes as well.
How, exactly, that all shakes out is anyone’s guess at this point – a category that includes the coach.
“Every single day it’s like there’s this top four, top five that kind of stand out and it’s not always the same, so it’s extremely competitive,” she said. “I’d say we have 12 of our 15 players that are truly fighting for minutes right now, which is exciting. It makes it way more fun, way more competitive in practice. It makes it a little bit harder as coaches obviously, because you’re trying to figure out rotations and timing and all that kind of stuff.”
Up front, things are a bit easier to predict, given that Milwaukee’s returning minutes leaders are Payton Rechlicz and Jorey Buwalda, who will probably lock down starting positions. They’ll be supported by the likes of Cece McNair and Izzy Pugh, two more players set to receive an extended look for the first time as Panthers.
Depth at all five positions will be necessary if things go according to plan, because Rechlicz also intends to shake the Panthers out of their famously-plodding pace. That’s a headline-worthy development, given that Milwaukee hasn’t ranked higher than 218th nationally in possessions per 40 minutes since the 2016-17 season, after the coach’s first few UWM teams tended to play a bit faster than average.
“We want to be a bit faster, and because of that, if they play as hard as they should be playing, they shouldn’t be able to sustain as many longer burst minutes,” Rechlicz observed. “So we will need to rotate a little bit more, which will hopefully get other people involved in the games and involved in the mix.”
As an added bonus, it’s entirely possible that players busy running the floor won’t have the opportunity to overthink end-of-the-game situations.
Returning Players
Payton Rechlicz, 5-11, G/F, Menomonee Falls, WI, Menomonee Falls HS
Though the initial headlines with Rechlicz often centered on her being the head coach’s daughter, her first season (following a redshirt year) proved that she’s much more than a familiar last name. The Panthers’ only returning every-game starter made the Horizon League’s All-Freshman Team, and seems to have found a home in the Milwaukee frontcourt. That makes sense, given that she’s a capable rebounder (3.1 per game), who finishes well around the rim (45.6 percent on field goals) and can disproportionately get to the free throw line during those attempts. However, Rechlicz has spent a lot of the offseason developing additional ways to put points on the board, including off the dribble, without losing any of the constant hustle that keeps her on the court.
Jorey Buwalda, 6-0, F, Randolph, WI, Randolph HS
Buwalda, herself a former HL All-Freshman Team selection (in 2023-24), has rather abruptly become the most experienced player on the Panthers, at least in terms of games played with the program. If Milwaukee is to reach its potential this season, a step forward from the vocal and physical forward will likely be a central factor, following a sophomore season that looked a lot like her rookie year, at least superficially. As it stands, Buwalda is the team’s leading returning rebounder (her 4.9 boards per game were second to Lutz among all players), and a key driver for a team identity that’s always been called “tough to play against” by opposing coaches.
Jada Williams, 5-10, G, Mason City, IA, Mason City HS
Along with the younger Rechlicz and Grace Lomen, Williams will serve as one of the Panthers’ captains this season. That’s an important designation for a player who will be counted on, not only for her leadership, but for an additional dose of backcourt depth as well. After battling a series of injuries throughout her career, Williams will seek to expand on her 14.5 minutes per game as an upperclassman.
“She’s been very healthy this summer, so it’s just been really nice to have her out on the floor,” Rechlicz said. “And she does a lot of the intangible things for us. Every day she brings in the same kind of energy and intensity and competitiveness on the defensive side, so she’ll be another one that you’ll definitely be seeing out on the court.”
Grace Lomen, 5-10, G, East Troy, WI, UW–Parkside
When Rechlicz speaks about former redshirts and other under-the-radar players who should be big contributors to the coming season, Lomen is always near the top of the list. Though her minutes were limited in her first season at Milwaukee, following two at sister school Wisconsin–Parkside, Lomen will be counted on to step up and fill at least some of the void left by UWM’s departures. The available evidence says that she can do so, as Lomen’s time with the Rangers included a well-rounded effort of 8.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game as a sophomore. On a roster that’s always relied on balance and depth, some approximation of those numbers would be more than enough.
Cece McNair, 6-2, C, Prior Lake, MN, Prior Lake HS
McNair is another player that Rechlicz sees as something of an ace in the hole, given that she redshirted as a freshman last season after averaging a double-double during her last two years of high school ball. The Panthers, if Buwalda lines up at the five, might be a bit on the small side at times, but McNair offers the ability to put some size on the floor, if the situation demands it. Of course, “big” doesn’t mean “slow and unathletic,” as Rechlicz is quick to point out.
“Cece has put herself into really, really great shape,” she said. “She’s actually running under eight-minute miles now, and for her size, [that’s incredible].”
Sophia Rampulla, 5-11, G, Union Grove, WI, Union Grove HS
In at least one sense, Rampulla is a bit of a throwback, as a well-regarded recruit who was willing to stick around, commit to her development, and wait her turn. Now, after a redshirt in 2023-24 and just 13 games last season, it may finally be the former Wisconsin Ms. Basketball finalist’s time to shine.
“She’s really put the time into the weight room and into just the nutrition and conditioning phase of it,” Rechlicz said. “She looks a lot more like a Kendall Nead type player for us now, and that’s really helping her perform on the court. She’s always been a really natural scorer, but she lacked defensively and that’s really picked up for her, so she’s playing with a lot of confidence right now.”
Incoming Players
Valérie Cassidy-De Falco, 5-4, G, Nottingham, United Kingdom, Eastern Washington
Though Lutz, a mechanical engineering and astrophysics double major who also happened to be really good at basketball, is now gone, her academic legacy will be carried on by Cassidy-De Falco, an aspiring aerospace engineer. On the court, the Englishwoman already qualifies as one of the Panthers’ more seasoned guards, thanks to a freshman season at Eastern Washington. She didn’t play much for the Eagles – just 11 minutes total – but Cassidy-De Falco also has some international experience, including tournaments with Great Britain’s U18 team and U17 3×3 squad. She will likely receive the first shot at being Peppler’s replacement, an appropriate place on the floor for someone who averaged 6.9 assists per game with her prep team.
Olivia Olson, 5-6, G, Cuba City, WI, Cuba City HS
Of Milwaukee’s true freshmen, Olson should be among the first to receive playing time of substance. Back in March, the point guard joined a long list of girls basketball greats out of tiny Cuba City, WI (population: 2,138) by helping the Cubans to a WIAA Division 4 state championship, the 12th in school history. Olson had 11 points and a game-high six assists in the final, which isn’t terribly far off of her career averages, though she did explode for 21.4 points per game as a junior. Along the way, she’s received a weighty haul of awards, including all-state selections from both the WBCA and AP, as well as an array of conference honors.
Rita Gomes, 5-8, G, Lisbon, Portugal, Arizona Western College
Gomes figures to be another important part of Milwaukee’s guard rotations, thanks largely to shooting ability that Rechlicz describes as “phenomenal.” That’s not faint praise from the coach of a team that’s always relied heavily on three-pointers. However, the Panthers averaged just 60.5 points per game a year ago, so absent anything else, the ability to score the basketball will at least merit an extended look. To that point, Gomes hit 95 triples at Arizona Western last season en route to 12.5 points per game, as well as second team all-conference and all-region selections. Additionally, she offers a bit of the “knows how to win” intangible, given that the Matadors won a district title during her freshman year, followed by a conference regular season crown in 2024-25.
Tierney Madigan, 5-10, G, Rosendale, WI, Laconia HS
While Madigan’s development curve is longer than the others in this section, one thing’s for certain: her athleticism is virtually without peer. At Laconia High School, she participated in five sports (volleyball, track & field, softball, and cross country were the others), making her the sort of x-factor capable of game-altering plays, once she’s ready.
“Tierney is one of the more athletic players that we’ve ever coached,” Rechlicz said. “She’s just athletically very blessed. I mean, you could take her to a cornhole competition, and she probably would find a way to win it because she’s just a winner in everything that she does.”
It’s uncertain how much of the floor Madigan will see this year, if she plays at all. But once she’s on? “I think you’ll definitely be hearing her name quite a bit over the years,” her coach added.
Micayla Silas, 5-9, G, Oneida, WI, Cochise College
Silas offers another experienced backcourt option for a team that will undoubtedly spend a lot of the early season trying to sort out the spots on the floor where Peppler and Donaldson each played 31 minutes per game last year. As a freshman at Cochise College, Silas shot 43.4 percent from three-point range, then followed up that effort with an NJCAA Third Team All-American nod, when she averaged 14.7 points per game as a sophomore.
Projected Starting Roster
Valérie Cassidy-De Falco
Rita Gomes
Grace Lomen
Payton Rechlicz
Jorey Buwalda
Preview Week 2025-26
MBB: Preseason Poll | Preseason All-League | Preseason Awards
WBB: Preseason Poll | Preseason All-League | Preseason Awards
Cleveland State (MBB | WBB) | Detroit Mercy (MBB | WBB) | Green Bay (MBB | WBB) | IU Indy (MBB | WBB)
Milwaukee (MBB | WBB) | Northern Kentucky (MBB | WBB) | Oakland (MBB | WBB) | Purdue Fort Wayne (MBB | WBB)
Robert Morris (MBB | WBB) | Wright State (MBB | WBB) | Youngstown State (MBB | WBB)
